Dama Gazelle
Common name | Dama Gazelle |
Scientific name | Nanger dama |
IUCN Red List classification | Critically Endangered |
Animal facts
The horns can be up to 14 inches long and are found in both sexes, though much smaller and thinner on the females. The dama gazelle is the largest of all the gazelles and varies in appearance across its range being larger and darker in the west and smaller and paler in the east. It can survive long periods of drought like most desert species, and also used to move north and south with the seasons to obtain sufficient nutrition.
It was once one of the most numerous and widespread of Saharan gazelles from Morocco, Senegal and Mauritania eastward to the Sudan. They have recently only been found in very small numbers in four widely scattered locations. The main threats to the dama gazelle are excessive hunting, habitat alteration, agricultural expansion and competition from domestic stock.
Where they live
Southern Sahara
Habitat
In the dry season of the year they roam in bushlands and semi-deserts. In the wet season they move further into the Sahara Desert.
What they eat
Primarily browsers. They prefer leaves, shoots, fruit, and especially Acacia leaves.
